in trying to kill "the little varmints."
Muggins bore up stoically, and all of them became callous in course of
time. Fish of many kinds were seen in the clear water, and their first
success in the sporting way was the spearing of two fine mullet. Soon
after this incident, a herd of brown deer were seen to rush out of the
jungle and dash down an open glade, with noses up and antlers resting
back on their necks. A shot from Bunco's gun alarmed but did not hit
them, for Bunco had been taken by surprise, and was in an unstable
canoe. Before the deer had disappeared, two or three loud roars were
heard.

"Quick! go ashore," whispered Bunco, running his canoe in among the
overhanging bushes, and jumping out.

Three tigers bounded at that moment from the jungle in pursuit of the
deer. Bunco took rapid aim, but his old flint gun missed fire.
Luckily, Will Osten, having followed his example, was ready. He fired,
and one of the tigers fell, mortally wounded. Before he could wriggle
into the jungle Bunco ran up and put a bullet into his brain.

This was a splendid beginning, and the hunters were loud in their
congratulations of each other, while Bunco skinned the tiger. But the
reader must not suppose that we intend to chronicle every incident of
this kind. We record this as a specimen of their work during the
following three weeks. They did not indeed shoot a tiger daily, but
they bagged several within that period, besides a number of deer and
other game. We must hasten, however, to tell of an event which put a
sudden stop to our hero's hunting at that time, and resulted in the
breaking-up of that hitherto united and harmonious party.

One evening, a little before sunset, they came upon a small clearing, in
the midst of which was a little house erected, in the usual way, upon
wooden legs. The hunters found, to their surprise, that it was
inhabited by an Englishman named Gordon, who received them with great
hospitality and evident pleasure. He lived almost alone, having only
one negro man-servant, whose old mother performed the duties of
housekeeper. Here they passed the night in pleasant intercourse with a
man, who, besides being a countryman--and therefore full of interest
about England, from which he heard regularly but at long intervals--was
remarkably intelligent, and had travelled in almost every quarter of the
globe. As to his motive for secluding himself in such a wild spot, they
did not presume to inqu